Rainfall lashed several parts of Srinagar on Saturday morning, providing much-needed relief from the prevailing hot and humid conditions in the city. The showers brought down temperatures and offered relief from the persistent humidity of the past few days.
According to a press release by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), “Isolated heavy rainfall likely over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand during July 8-14; Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit, Baltistan-Muzaffarabad during July 8-10; West Uttar Pradesh during July 8-11; Punjab, Haryana Chandigarh, East Uttar Pradesh on July 9-10; West Rajasthan during July 12-14; East Rajasthan during July 10-14 with very heavy rainfall over Uttarakhand on July 8; East Rajasthan on July 11-12”.
The monsoon arrived eight days early in India this year, bringing heavy rainfall and waterlogging to several cities, disrupting the lives of people.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday expressed displeasure and concern over the waterlogging in several parts of the national capital following heavy rain. She issued strict instructions to the officials of the concerned department to take prompt and effective measures to prevent waterlogging and ensure public convenience during the monsoon season.
In Himachal Pradesh, the monsoon has caused widespread devastation since its onset. According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), 91 people lost their lives between June 20 and July 10 due to rain-related incidents, including landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, and drowning.
The SDMA’s cumulative loss report as of July 10 revealed that the highest number of casualties occurred in Mandi district (17 deaths), followed by Kangra (12) and Kullu (3).
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in two districts of Himachal Pradesh, namely Sirmaur and Kangra, while a yellow alert has been sounded for six other districts, including Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Mandi, Shimla, and Solan.
Sandeep Kumar Sharma, Senior Scientist at IMD Himachal Pradesh, told ANI that the monsoon activity is expected to remain active across the state through mid-July. “Only a month has passed. The weather activity is expected to remain active in Himachal Pradesh till at least July 16,” he added.
In Uttar Pradesh, continuous heavy rainfall led to rising water levels in the Ganga River in Varanasi. Ghats were submerged and temples inundated as the river crossed the danger mark on Wednesday.
Residents noted that the water level has been rising steadily, submerging one step of the ghats each day.
“Water level is rising by one step each day. There were 84 ghats here, and after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the Namo Ghat, there are now 85 ghats here. We are in contact with all the ghats, while some roads are blocked. This happens annually, whenever it rains, it causes difficulty for the public as they get stuck.” Sonu Sahani, a local resident, told ANI. (ANI)
